Boosting science, engineering and technology skills in Africa is a topic foremost on the agenda for ministers from nine African countries meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week.

The ministers are meeting during a three-day workshop dubbed the "Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology in Africa", which is organised by the World Bank and the Ethiopian government.

It aims to connect ministers of education and training with a wide range of experts from Brazil, China, India and Korea.

Ministers from Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania are expected to thrash out as to how to invest in skills and higher education, especially science and technology.

"Out of this workshop, I hope we can come up with some very strong and practical recommendations to strengthen the collaboration between partner countries and African countries to strengthen the contributions of technical and higher education institutions,” said Ato Demeke Mekonnen, deputy prime minister of Ethiopia.

Shobha Ghosh, senior director of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce added, “The Indian private education sector would be willing to participate in this partnership provided that there is a conducive regulatory environment that makes investment in education a financially viable proposition.”

“Africa can leverage the experience of India, particularly in engineering, science and technology,” he said.